Count Bassy

Make a point of playing at least 15 -30 minutes a day, whenever you possibly can, but stop when your fingers start to get sore. (I realise that this is not particulary useful in a gig situation). Don't carry on until they blister - If you do then the skin underneath is all soft and you'll have to start building up the thicker skin again. Give it a few months and the problem will probably go away. When I started I used to get blisters on both hands, but I now can't remember the last time I had any trouble - even after a 4 hour rehearsal, and I rarely get to play the 15 minutes a day that I should. On the plucking hand I used to find masking tape quite good - you still know its there, and you'll have to replace it every two or three tunes, but the feel on the strings is still realtively close to your own skin, and it doesn't degenerate into a sticky mess like elastoplast. Not ideal, but it might allow you to carry on when your fingers are begging you to stop. The one thing said here that I disagree with is the idea of turning up the amp and playing more lightly. Its OK to an extent, but to me a string played lightly and amplified a lot does not sound the same as a string played hard and amplified less! The timbre and attack are quite different. If you like the sound of a lightly plucked string then fine, but if not then it really doesn't help. I tend to play with fairly percussively (NOT Slapping/popping) with a lot of attack play, and I can't get that affect playing lightly (perhaps I need to practise more). Having said that its probably true to say that I generally play more lightly that I used to.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='443797' date='Mar 24 2009, 02:19 PM']I can feel this thread decending into a Marshall vs Fender debate. American amps win for me I am afraid...[/quote] But the only reason they sound any good is because your running them on British electricity!

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='442828' date='Mar 23 2009, 06:30 PM']There's also some vintage German electricity stored on the sea-bed at Scapa Flow. Not a lot of people know that.[/quote] But German electricity would sound different.

[quote name='josh3184' post='443301' date='Mar 24 2009, 12:08 AM']I agree actually, if there's no slight variation in speed its too robotic in my view.[/quote] Me too. When its a bassist we have whole threads about people being all technique with no feel/groove/soul (which IMHO comes down to subtle variations in timing and dynamics), yet when it comes to drummers it seems we want them to be metronomic. Give me a real drummer anyday.

That Giraffe stand is the one I've got and it works really well, but then I've got a combo, so the amp sliding off is not a problem.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='443125' date='Mar 23 2009, 09:18 PM']I've seen a couple of foldable cab-tilter wedge-type designs which look like a good idea on the face of it but what stops your head from sliding off the top when the cab is tilted back?[/quote] If its a combo then the stand has stand ups at the back that stops it falling off. If you've got a separate head then I guess the easy option is that the head doesn't have to be on top the cab.

I currently only have a small 65watt combo (Marshall B65), which has served me fairly well, and so far I have got away with DI'ing when I've needed extra umph. In anticipation of playing out more, however, I am now thinking about upgrading to a stack system, or a much pokier combo with extension cab, possibly with a 1 x15 and a 2 x 10. Sound wise I obviously need to go out and try stuff, but have done some initial looking into possibilities and prices on the interweb. I get the impression that most systems in my target range are based around 8 ohm cabs, thus dropping to 4 ohms if you have two cabs, but that some are based around 4 ohm cabs dropping to 2 ohms with two cabinets. Given that I'd be getting a matching amplifier, is there any inherent advantage in going for 8/4 ohms over the 4/2 ohms, or vic versa? One of my concerns is that if I go for 4/2 ohms it will make it harder to "mix and match" at a later date if required (on the basis that an 8/4 amp might not like driving into 2 ohms, where as a 2/4 ohhm amp would still drive an 8 ohm cab if required, albeit with some loss of volume) Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I have a Colt 100, which is a full range/keyboard/acoustic combo, rather than a bass specific combo, and it's been great.

Never heard of this lady before, but I (personally, IMHO, etc) would put her playing well above Walkenfeld's.

[quote name='Jase' post='438827' date='Mar 19 2009, 12:38 AM']Talking of Hendrix [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F9bBAqb0o8"]Billy/Hendrix[/url][/quote] Good job he took up bass rather than singing though.

Something I mentioned in another thread: Fender stating that the jazz bass 24 is their first 24 fret bass, which it isn't. Both the Stu Hamm Urge models have 24 frets. The Mk1 has been around for at least 10 years, and the Mk2 is still listed on the Fender site.

[quote name='thebeat' post='389119' date='Jan 22 2009, 11:09 PM']JJ was a bit of a Prima Donna...and not a very nice person when the mood took him. [/quote] Well he was French

I'm puzzled as to why/how Fender can say its their first 24 Fret instrument. Both the Urge models have 24 frets and the mk 1 has been around for at least 10 years.

Not a lot of help in this case, but I had this problem on a bass and ended up fitting a compensated nut which solved the problem (actually what I ended up doing was fitting a zero fret directly in front of the nut, touching the nut at the G string, but a good 4mm clear at the E string - but the same affect). I'm guessing that this worked because when ever you fret a string, even at the first fret, you're increasing the tension, and thus it will be sharp, realtive to the open string. The compensated nut means that this base level of increase is taken out by the nut, leaving the bridge end to adjust for the difference in the change as you go up the neck. What you're effectively doing is accepting that all fretted notes will be sharp, and use the compensated nut to make the open string sharp by the same amount, then tune the open string down to the right note again. Not at all sure on the theory, but it certainly worked for me.

[quote name='Ballie' post='425653' date='Mar 5 2009, 12:03 AM']Cheap active circuits or pickups are often a main downfall of a bass - take the Ibanez GWB35. Everyone who owns one replaces the p/up and circuit, then it's a truly awesome machine. Built with prettymuch the same materials used to build it's £2000 pro-level version.[/quote] I've got one of these and haven't made any mods, but I'm interested to hear more! My main problems with it are that the saddle screws adjust work down over time, but I'm sure that can be easily fixed if I put my mind to it. Generally I've found the preamp pretty useful, giving a good range of tones. The only problem I've noticed is lot of hiss when you turn the treble right up, which can be a bit annoying, but I don't tend to have the treble that far up anyway. But, having said that, I've never tried a modified one of these, so don't know what I'm missing! What pickup and electrics do people tend to upgrade these to?

[quote name='melvin' post='417122' date='Feb 23 2009, 07:06 AM']Back in college during the mid '90s , I used to have McDonald® burger for lunch to save money for a new bass. I finally got one Yamaha RBX but didn't have a decent amp. My girlfriend gave me a birthday present. A DiMarzio Model P pickup and a nice Marshall combo amp proudly made in the UK . Now I am married with a 5 year old son and 4 MIJ basses, 3 of those were bought by my wife.............who also gave me that Marshall amp almost 13 years ago I love my wife![/quote] I think we all love your wife, or rather, would love to have a wife like yours.

[quote name='mathewsanchez' post='415210' date='Feb 20 2009, 12:49 PM']I've been playing bass about four and a bit years now and for most of that time I have said 'you don't need to be able to read music to be a good musician', which I still kinda stick by. But alas with the possibility of going for a career in music; grades, sight reading and theory are seeming a better idea. So basically a few months ago I decided to take a grade 3 exam just to try it out and passed with destinction. I found it so easy that i decided to skip to grade 5 which i took a couple of weeks ago. Just a few minutes ago I got the result which is another destinction. Again I havn't really found it very challenging so I have decided to go for grade 8 next time. Obviously grade 8 will be more of a challenge and i'll take a lot longer to practice for it, but I hope to take the exam around the autumn 2009 exam period. So who else round here has done any grades? (I realise quite a few people on here will disagree with the formal approach to music but I still only play because I love doing it and I started off completely self taught)[/quote] Three points: First: Congratulations!. Second: If its anything like piano (which my wife teaches) then the step between grade 5 and grade 8 is enormous, so I'd check into it thoroughly before you jump straight to grade 8. Third: If your hoping that your achievement will help your musical career (I'm sure it will), then I suggest you learn how to spell "Distinction".

In his day Charlie Whitney did it for me. but I don't think he's doing anything much these days.

Perhaps I'm being silly, but one of the knobs on my bass is called volume, and its right there just below my right hand. Alternatively just pull the strings harder.

[quote name='Boneless' post='411443' date='Feb 16 2009, 08:10 PM']But what is, really, the appeal of a short scale? I have never found a short scale with the right string tension, and the lower strings tend to sound muddy and without much clarity (the only exception maybe being the Danos, since they are so bright and jangly). I understand some may appreciate the punchiness of a short scale, but I don't really get it I'm not criticizing, but what do short scale enthusiasts actually like of short scales? (By the way, I have a medium scale and I hate it ).[/quote] Ease of playing, especially for any multiple note work. The tone, you can get quite a 'poppy' tone (not as in slap and pop, or as in pop music). The fact that you can bend them further. Just the general feel - I'm a big bloke but I find that the medium scale just feels like an extension of your body, whereas the a 34" scale feels less like that. Obviously other people may dislike short/medium scales for the same reasons as I like them.

+1 on the Fender Urge Mk1, although this is a 32" scale. I've got a Mex and a US one and they are both good instruments. You might get the mex one for 2-300, and on a good day you might get the US one for a little over your 500 limit. The Mex is fine, but the US one has an extra pickup, string through body, different electrics, screening, micro tilt etc. I also have a Westone quantum which is 32" headless, and is great for lugging around hotels etc. these don't come up very often, but only fetch 125 to £175 ish. Passive, but with immense output and tone. Aria make both 32" and 30" basses.

Tippex!!

[quote name='chris_b' post='401917' date='Feb 6 2009, 12:10 PM']Ah, the Nigel Watson band featuring (occasionally) Peter Green!! The bass player is Pete Stroud. Since the demise of the Splinter Group he’s playing local gigs in West London with Papa George, Bad Influence, Chuck Farley and others. He’s very good but I would prefer to listen to John McVie any day.[/quote] I've always liked pete Stroud's playing since he was with Roger Chapman and the Shortlist about 20 years ago, but having seen him playing with Buddy Whittington a few months ago he has become the Bassplayer I woiuld most like to be able to play like.

I've got D'addario half rounds on my fender urge, strung through the body, and they're great. Mellowed the tone down a bit so that I'm not always running with the treble backed right off as I was with the round wounds, but still plenty of zing (for my taste at least) if you wind the treble up. Obviously half round (Ground wound), but not had one fail on yet.

[quote name='leschirons' post='399344' date='Feb 3 2009, 07:57 PM']It's all relevent in the world of music as far as I'm concerned and is no different from a bass player using a distortion pedal because that's not what a bass sounds like really is it? I wonder if all the upright bass players of the 50's slagged off the first guy they saw with a Precision and said it's not really a bass but an electrified plank of wood. Probably not.[/quote] Probably yes!